Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on August 9 chaired an urgent meeting with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other relevant agencies to institute preventative measures to minimize the risk of the Ebola virus entering Vietnam. Vietnam issues highest level alert for Ebola Hanoi steps up Ebola preventative measures Vietnam on high alert as Ebola outbreak worsens. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak an “international public health emergency", PM Dung said and warned the virus could enter Vietnam unless immediate preventative measures are put in place. He asked relevant agencies to devise detailed and specific plans should any instance of the deadly disease be detected. The PM directed the MoH to co-ordinate with the WHO to keep abreast of developments related to the epidemic and initiate steps to popularize the outbreak to raise public awareness of the dangers posed by the Ebola virus. The most likely scenario for the deadly virus to enter the country would be through Vietnamese or others arriving from affected countries, the PM said. He requested relevant ministries and agencies to urgently mobilize the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment and strictly monitor travelers at border gates and airports for timely detection and isolation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should also take immediate measures to limit travel and work of any staff in the nations that have reported breakouts, he said. The WHO reports the Ebola virus has infected 1,779 people, killing 960 in four West African nations namely Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria from the start of the outbreak earlier this year to August 6, 2014. More than 200 health workers have contracted the disease. The virus is highly contagious and deadly and can spread rapidly. There is no cure or vaccine for the disease and it has a fatality rate of up to 90%. However, an epidemic can be contained if early detection and isolation are conducted under strict procedures. (Vov.vn Aug 9)
